


By the Time

by soft_bucky



Series: Bubbles or something [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Best Friends, Fluffy, Harry likes bubbles a lot, Harry-centric, Implied self harm but not actually said, Kid Fic, M/M, One Shot, Then to now, Time Skips, implied depression, larry stylinson - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-06
Updated: 2013-07-06
Packaged: 2017-12-17 22:35:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/872737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soft_bucky/pseuds/soft_bucky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>But he sees a little kid across the street with a tiara on his head. Louis thinks that's a little odd but doesn't care too much because he has a toy truck and some bubbles and that's better than nothing.</em><br/>"Hi! I'm Harry. You wanna play?" Tiara bubble boy asks and that's why Louis came over, so he nods. </p><p>(Alternatively called Bubbles.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	By the Time

Louis was sat in the back of his mum's car with the seat belt pulled too tight across his body. Once he moved it so the diagonal part was on his back and he wasn't as restrained; but then his mum nagged him about safety and that's a no no. So he doesn't move it this time. The seven year old frowns, looking out the window as he watches the lush, green trees blur by. The air conditioner was on full blast to cool  the car down and keep it cool because when they first got inside, the digital thermometer in the car read 102 degrees due to  the sun beaming down on it.

His mum decided to move all the way to some place in England that he didn't even know; away from all his friends. And he was still mad about it even after telling him  four months ago.

She said that she had a baby in her stomach and needed more space for the baby to grow. He just figured that once the baby was born she could stick it in her bed and be done with it. That way he could still keeps his room and his friends and his school.

Finally the car stops in front of their new house right in the parking space beside  the moving van.

"Come on Louis. We can see you new house now." His mum smiles at him through the rear view mirror as she unbuckles her own  seat belt that went across her round stomach.

He keeps the frown on his face as he gets rid of the device and clambers out of the car with her, following her up the steps.

Louis follows her around the two story house, quickly loosing interest he didn't think he had left. The only thing that made him remotely like the place was the attic. He thought that was wicked cool. He tells his mum he's going outside and descends  the white painted concrete steps and moves to the sidewalk to watch the mover men. They made him think of his L ego people that would build up his houses in Lego town.

That makes him remember that he doesn't have any toys to play with while he's outside at the moment because they're all in those giant brown boxes closed up with the impossible clear tape. But he sees a little kid across the street with a tiara on his head. Louis  thinks that's a little odd but doesn't care too much because he has a toy truck and some bubbles and that's better  than nothing.

Without telling his mum where he is; she could see him when he came outside, Louis walks on the sidewalk around the perimeter of the  rectangular cul-de-sac (he reads a lot so he knows that word. He though they were all circles but apparently not) and walks up the steps that the boy was sitting on. The kid with the springy, curly, dark blonde; almost brown hair looks up at Louis when he approaches.

"Hi! I'm Harry. You wanna play?" Tiara bubble boy asks and  that's why Louis came over, so he nods.

"I'm Louis." Louis sits next to him and takes the toy truck in his grip and rolls it back and forth and makes truck noises as Harry blows green colored bubbles which peak Louis' curiosity.

" How'd you make them green?" Louis asks; temporarily letting go of the truck.

"My mummy added food color. They looked green before but  didn't come out green so she did that." Harry smiles proudly.

"How old are you?" Harry has these bright, innocent green eyes that were looking at Louis with curiosity.

"Seven. I'm in primary school."

"That's cool! I'm almost five so I'll be going to big kids school soon." Harry grins and his teeth are tiny and slightly crooked Louis notices. He also notices his mum across the street with her arms crossed with a angry expression on her face and he knows  that he's in trouble.

"I have to go Harry. But I'll come back soon, okay?"

Harry nods and says "Bye Louis!"

Louis walks back to his side of the street and doesn't really listen to his mum scolding him about stranger danger and needing to know where he is at all times. He looks back over his shoulder before going inside the house and spots Harry waving with a tiny hand at him from across  the street. Louis waves back in return.

~o~

Over a course of time, Louis has come to know that bubbles are Harry's thing. He sees Harry outside two days after initially meeting with blue bubbles, then purple, then red, then yellow,  then orange. He has the big giant bottles of bubbles and the kind that you get as party favors. He has ice cream scented ones, and a cherry scented one. Even those big kinds where you pour the bubbles into a tray and have a giant huge wand to put in  the tray.

But by the time Louis is 11 and Harry is nine, Harry stops wearing tiaras and tutus. He sticks to jeans and shorts and tee shirts. But he still still sits on the steps outside and blows various bubbles.

Louis' mum got remarried when he was nine and he has two sisters now. He's really hoping for a boy if his mum gets pregnant again. Other than after school and summer, Louis and Harry don't get to see much of each other due to Harry going to private  school and Louis attending one of the public schools in the area.

By the time Harry is 11 and Louis is 13, Harry doesn't bring his bubbles outside anymore. Him and Louis mostly spend their time playing video games or hanging out. They don't really hang out on  the steps.

By the time Harry is 13 and Louis is 15, they spend their time on the steps, just talking.

By the time Harry is 14 and Louis is 16, Louis finds Harry sitting on the steps in his free time, singing whatever songs come to mind. He decides not to disturb him in these moments, only coming by sometimes.

A few months later, Harry sits on those steps with a blonde kid who plays guitar while Harry sings. Louis doesn't want to interrupt.

By the time Harry is 15 and Louis is 17, he finds Harry not smiling as much. Blonde kid comes once a week and eventually stops coming. Louis has stopped coming over by now too. Harry also starts wearing long sleeves more often without rolling them up. But sometimes a smile comes on his face as he's singing; as if  that's the reason for his joy.

By the time Harry is 16 and Louis is 18, Harry still sits on those steps; except he usually is leaning his back against the right black, metal railing with his eyes closed, legs spread out in front of him and a cigarette hanging from his pink, plush lips. 

Louis doesn't even know when Harry started smoking. Sometimes Harry sings, sometimes he just sits with two white ear buds in his ears. Once, Louis caught him taking pictures with a fancy black camera hanging around his neck. Louis smiles at that because Harry always liked nature. It makes him think of a conversation they had when  they were much younger.

-

"I wish they lasted longer." Ten year old Harry says with a small sigh after blowing a vanilla scented bubble.

"What, the bubbles?" Louis asks, eyebrows scrunching together in confusion.

"Yeah. Like sitting up here makes me feel tall and I like watching them float up. Like I feel like what if they floated past the parking lot, above the cars, with the birds? Why should they just pop after a couple seconds? What if someone makes  the biggest bubble ever and wants to keep it like catching a memory? If it makes someone happy, why should it have to stop?"

"You got  all of  that from bubbles?" Louis laughs.

Harry smiles. "Yeah. It's probably just me being stupid. I just like happy things and I feel like if people want to capture memories that make them happy or feel something, then they should. That's why I like pictures. My mum has some  that she always looks at that make her smile. If I could do that for someone one day, or even myself, then that would make me happy." Harry says appreciatively.

~o~

By the time Harry is 17 and Louis is 19, Louis has four little sisters and is enrolled in university after finally graduating secondary school. Harry occasionally plays songs on a guitar. An old acoustic. Louis spots this guy in a  suit walk up to Harry as he's taking out the trash.

He sees the teenager open is eyes and take the cigarette from his cherry red puffy lips. The two of the exchange a few words and something is passed to Harry who puts it in his pocket. Just as Louis is coming back from his trip to  the dumpsters, the guy gets in his car and drives off.

Louis' interest is definitely piqued, so for the first time in years, he goes up to Harry and sits next to him on the steps. Up close, he can see some faint white scars along Harry's tan arms which he is confused about but  doesn't think he has the right to ask.

" Who was  that?" Louis asks curiously.

Harry doesn't even look surprised to see Louis here, other  than  the slight  dent between his furrowed eyebrows.

"A guy who liked me singing. Part of a company." Harry says simply and after not hearing him talk in a while, Louis discovers how deep and raspy his voice is now. It suits him. Especially with the attractiveness and height he has on him.

"So he wants to sign you?"

Harry nods. "Look Louis; no offense; but why are you talking to me all of a sudden for the first time in almost three years?"

Louis shrugs. He isn't 100% sure.

"I felt like coming by. And I was a little curious as to who  that guy was."

"Good enough then. You want one?" Harry takes out a pack of cigarettes from the front pocket of the black jeans he has on that Louis thinks look to be glued to his skin.

Louis should say no. Say he doesn't smoke or is trying to stop or he shouldn't. But the older man doesn't do any of those things. He smokes occasionally and this is Harry, so why the hell not? He plucks one of the tobacco sticks from  the carton and holds it out over the red lighter that Harry possesses and brings it to his lips to inhale  the bitter smoke.

He and Harry sit on those steps like old times; talking and smoking a couple cigarettes (more like three to be approximate) and  simply being.

He asks "What are those scars?" but Harry's face darkens slightly and Louis decides to take the question back; deciding that it was something Harry was not willing to talk about. Instead he asks "Why'd you stop blowing bubbles? I thought  that was your  thing?"

Harry smiles slightly. "Remember that conversation we had about happiness and bubbles and whatever else it was?"

Louis nods.

"Yeah a little while later, I realized that bubbles were childish and nothing that gives you happiness lasts forever. Realized what the world was like and all that. So I simply stopped. Moved on to different things." Harry says.

Eventually his mum texts him saying he needs to get inside asap because he's been gone for two hours. He sighs and stands up from his spot.

"I'll see you soon?" Louis asks, walking down the stairs.

A light laugh escapes Harry's mouth. "Maybe."

Louis smiles and walks on the sidewalk back to his house. Before he goes inside, he looks back to where Harry was and can just barely make out a tall figure in a black t-shirt with black jeans and curly hair entering his house. He smiles at  that before closing the door behind him.

~o~

Louis comes to know that that is the last time he sees Harry. He's too busy with stuff to even sit on his steps anymore and he's almost never home when Louis is. One day after about eight months, Harry's car is no longer in the parking lot. And it never comes back.

When Louis is 20 and is on his way to class, he turns the radio to 97.9; the one that plays popular and upcoming  music.

"And here's Harry Styles with his number 1 single that is topping multiple charts called Here We Go."

Louis smiles to himself because he knew this kid when he was just a bubble blowing, tiara wearing five year old and turns the knob on the left a little towards himself to raise the volume a couple notches. 

**Author's Note:**

> I think I'm going to do a sequel where he meets Harry probably at a club few years later and he looks so much different and Harry isn't as happy as when the whole fame thing started. And he reveals that he hates being famous now and then there's sex and blah blah blah. It'll be called Things Will Be Alright.


End file.
